Hackensack University Medical Center Holds Steel Beam Topping Off Ceremony to Mark Milestone in Central Utility Plant Project

Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center held a steel beam topping off and signing ceremony to signify the completion of the first phase of construction of its Central Utility Plant (CUP) at Second and Atlantic streets. This marks a key milestone in a campus transformation and modernization plan that will provide power and utilities to the entire campus including the new patient pavilion on Second Street in a more efficient and effective way.

“As you look at the steel beam here, it represents a major expansion project at Hackensack University Medical Center,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health. “This project represents the largest health care expansion that’s ever been approved in the state of New Jersey.   The topping off ceremony reminds me of a famous quote by Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, in that the Central Utility Plant is one small step for Hackensack University Medical Center, but one giant leap for health care in the state of New Jersey.”

The new state-of-the-art 43,500-square-foot CUP and upgraded electrical service will power the hospital’s campus and house the boilers, steam equipment, chillers, cooling towers and emergency generators. This will provide the hospital with enhanced capacity while also providing energy efficiency.

“This project transforms our campus forever and will power the entire medical center campus,” said Ihor S. Sawczuk, M.D., FACS, regional president, Northern Market, Hackensack Meridian Health. “To get an idea of its magnitude, the building will house a180,000-pound-per-hour boiler plant; a 12,000-ton chiller plant; and a 75-kilowatt diesel generator plant. Not only will the CUP provide the medical center with enhanced capacity, it will consolidate the existing infrastructure located in various locations throughout the campus into one central location.  This building will blend in and complement the existing urban campus of Hackensack University Medical Center.”

“We take great pride in being on the cutting–edge and innovative side of everything we do here in health care and this project is just one more example,” said Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, president, Hackensack University Medical Center and executive vice president, Population Health, Hackensack Meridian Health.  “Without power, cooling and heating, we could not do what we do.  We look forward to the completion of the CUP being the first step in a major project to transform this campus. In just three short years, you will not be able to look down Second Street without being able to see the Second Street Pavilion building, which will enhance our service to care for the needs to this region for future generations.”

Construction on the Second Street Pavilion will begin this summer. With a gross square footage of 530,000-square-feet (438,000-square-feet of usable space), the building will feature nine floors of cutting-edge technology, including state-of-the-art operating rooms and private rooms, to provide patients and families with world-class acute care, while enhancing comfort and privacy.

The CUP project was designed collaboratively by RSC Architects, EYP Architects, Concord Engineering, Langan Engineering, and Reuther+Bowen and is being constructed by Blanchard - Turner, a collaborative joint venture. Construction on CUP is expected to be completed in 2020.   At the peak of the project this fall, the CUP will employ approximately 84 construction workers.  The project is on track to achieve USGBC’s new PEER (Performance Excellence Electricity Renewal) certification, which recognizes industry leaders in energy efficient design. Through a focus on efficiency and resiliency in the new Central Utility Plant, Hackensack University Medical Center is furthering its commitment to excellence in patient care and environmental stewardship.